Reuben

[ roo-buhn ]

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Genesis 29, 30.
2. one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.
3. Reuben sandwich.
4. a male given name.

Reuben

/ ˈruːbɪn /

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)
2. the Israelite tribe descended from him
3. the territory of this tribe, lying to the northeast of the Dead Sea

Word History and Origins

Origin of Reuben¹

From Late Latin Ruben, from Greek Rhoubḗn, from Hebrew Rĕʾūbhēn, of uncertain origin, but traditionally translated as “Behold, a son!” and associated with Rāʾāh bĕʿōnī “He (God) has looked upon my affliction” (by granting Leah a son)

Example Sentences

Adi Reuben, a 24-year-old Maccabi Tel Aviv fan who was visiting Amsterdam for the club's Europa League match with Ajax, told the BBC he was kicked on the floor by a group of young men who confronted him when he was walking to his hotel.

From BBC

Mr Reuben said he could not see properly for about 30 minutes after the attack, but decided against going to hospital in Amsterdam because he had heard that taxi drivers were involved in the violence.

From BBC

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short,” Justice Reuben Nyakundi told Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere during the sentencing hearing in the High Court in Eldoret.

From BBC

Wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. and left tackle Reuben Unije also did not participate in the portion of practice open to reporters.

From Los Angeles Times

Left tackle Reuben Unije, who missed the Penn State game with an unspecified injury, was riding an exercise bike during practice.

From Los Angeles Times